


Requested Rescues

by whiteraven1606



Series: The Ranch [2]
Category: Bourne (Movies), Bourne Legacy (2012), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011), The Avengers (2012), The Incredible Hulk (2008)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Crossover, Developing Relationship, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hostage Situation, Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapping, Multi, Rescue, Rescue Missions, Reunions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-01
Updated: 2013-04-01
Packaged: 2017-12-07 03:23:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/743624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whiteraven1606/pseuds/whiteraven1606
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nicky didn't actually need rescuing until her current job landed her in the middle of a hostage situation. Meanwhile, Betty needed rescuing more than anyone had really known.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Requested Rescues

**Author's Note:**

> I decided to revisit this 'verse because of a comment on the first story asking about Nicky. I gave my headcannon reasoning for why she wasn't included in that one and decided to write the story of Jason deciding to try to check up on her.
> 
> Betty shoved her way into the story as she's been doing lately to me.
> 
> I still didn't get around to showing more of Aaron/Jason/Marta. Maybe in the next one.

****

Jason stroked one of the baby alpacas as he thought about asking Coulson to check on Nicky. He knew she'd been secure when he'd left her, but that had been years now. He'd tried to check on her a couple of weeks into living on the Hellicarrier, but she'd disappeared in that complete way that told Jason she was moving on her own.

It wasn't that he didn't think she could handle herself. She could. She did. Nicky was smart and while she didn't have the hand-to-hand training she knew how surveillance worked. She knew what to avoid.

Jason sighed and headed into the house. Aaron was still picking through the boxes that had shown up in a Stark Industries truck that morning.

Aaron looked up from the box he was unpacking. "You going to tell us what's bugging you? If we've got to move I need to call Barton and let him know to look after the animals."

Jason shook his head. "No, not anything like that." He looked down in the box between them. "There was someone I left in New York."

Marta came in from the living room and nudged a box out of her way with her foot. "Do we need to go?"

Aaron touched her shoulder. "Nah. Jason is worrying about someone he had to leave behind."

"Oh." She frowned. "You can't find them?"

Jason sat down at the table. "I looked for her once, early on. She'd disappeared by then."

Marta glanced at Aaron, then back at Jason. "It is bothering you, not knowing?"

Jason grimaced and pulled his phone from his pocket. "More so, lately." He frowned at his phone. "I...I like it here." He looked up at both of them. "I just..."

Aaron smiled at him. "You just worry about her because you had to leave her behind."

Jason nodded.

Marta turned and headed out of the room. "I'll go pack. Just in case."

Aaron touched Jason's hair. "Call Coulson. He'll be able to find her without touching off anything the Agency would notice."

Jason grabbed Aaron's wrist and looked up at him. "Thanks."

****

Phil Coulson pinched the bridge of his nose. "She's where, exactly?"

Sitwell made a face. "The middle of a bank robbery. She's remarkably calm and is even keeping the rest of the hostages calm."

Coulson nodded. "Of course, she is. Do not call the Ranch." He headed down to Fury's office. He stuck his head in. "Boss, I need permission to put Dr. Banner into a hostage situation."

Fury's head came up fast at that. "You want to what?"

Coulson stepped in and closed the office door behind himself. "The Ranch called this morning and asked me to locate a Nicky Parsons, now calling herself Susie Matthews, who is currently in the middle of a hostage situation at the bank she is working at."

Fury wrinkled his nose. "Do they know she's in danger?"

Coulson shook his head. "No, I haven't called the Ranch to let them know."

Fury glared at him. "You want to drop the Hulk into the middle of that?"

"No, I want to ask Dr. Banner to walk calmly into the bank and remind the hostage takers that if they do not release the hostages that Dr. Banner is quite capable of making them smears on a floor, Boss."

Fury snorted. "Fine. Go ask him."

Coulson smiled. "Thanks, Boss."

****

Bruce stared at Coulson. "You want me to _what_?"

Coulson held out a tablet. "The perpetrators have been identified. The last time they did not leave any of the hostages alive."

Bruce frowned down at the tablet. "Why me?"

"One of the hostages used to be Nicky Parsons. She was hidden in New York by Jason before he went on to piss off the entirety of the CIA."

"Oh." Bruce looked up at Coulson. "You don't want them trying to save her."

It hadn't been a question, but Coulson nodded anyway. "If I didn't think the Hulk could be trusted if he does come out, then I would not be asking, Doctor."

Bruce gave Coulson that bashful little smile. "Thanks."

From the doorway of the kitchen Stark grinned wide at them both.

****

Nicky kept her coworker pulled in tight against her side as the woman kept sniffling. "We'll be fine."

One of the customers snorted and shook their head. "I saw them on the news."

Nicky would kick him if she was only a little closer. "Be quiet."

The customer ducked their head, but it was too late as Nicky's coworker started to sob again.

From the front of the bank there was a commotion. The lead assailant pushed a floppy haired man into their group.

"Sit down."

The guy didn't move. "I told you not to touch me."

Nicky started pulling everyone close to her away from them. She recognized Dr. Banner from files on the first drugs developed from his version of the Super Soldier serum for Blackbriar.

The leader shoved Banner between the shoulder blades. "I said sit down."

Banner turned his head a little and Nicky could see his eyes flash green. "And I said not to touch me. Making me angry is a bad idea."

Nicky bit her lip and then nodded. "He's the Hulk."

The leader rounded on her to yell, but Banner grabbed him and slammed him down into the floor. He turned on the other two and _snarled_.

Nicky stood her ground as everyone around her scrambled in all directions.

****

Nicky stayed still as the _huge_ man that was the Hulk huffed and leaned down to sniff at her hair.

"Yuck."

She smiled tightly. "Hair dye. Sorry."

He rolled his shoulders back and down. "Nick-y?"

She swallowed. She'd been other names, but that was still the name she thought of herself as. "Yes."

"Jason worry."

Nicky bit her lip. "I had to move. I didn't know how to tell him where I was going without other people figuring it out."

Hulk nodded and turned, grinning at the suit that walked in. "Agent."

The agent patted Hulk's arm. "Thank you for helping today, Hulk."

Hulk puffed out his chest and pointed at Nicky. "Nick-y."

The agent smiled softly at her. "Yes, I see that." He looked back up at the Hulk. "Do you want to go outside?"

Hulk shook his head and looked up at the ceiling light he was nearly touching with his hair. "No like flash-flash. Loud."

Nicky stepped closer. "News reporters?"

The agent nodded. "Yes. He doesn't like them even more than Dr. Banner doesn't like reporters." He held his hand out to her. "Agent Coulson of SHEILD."

"SHEILD?" She shook his hand.

"Like the CIA only worldwide and we don't hunt down agents that end up with amnesia."

Nicky blinked. "He is still alive, then?"

Coulson nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

Nicky smiled. "They didn't find a body."

****

Bruce normally avoided going to the Ranch. They were all nice enough people, but the automatic tenseness and checking riled him in a way that worried Bruce. Today though he was tired enough from transforming that he didn't really care.

They climbed out of the car as Aaron appeared on the porch. He blinked at them and then smiled wide.

Aaron turned his head and yelled back into the house. "Jason, you should come hug someone!"

Nicky looked at Bruce as she climbed out the car. He smiled back as Jason came to the door.

"Nicky."

She smiled at him and then stared at Aaron. "Oh. Wow."

Marta appeared at Jason's elbow and gave him a little push. "Go on."

Bruce followed Nicky around the end of the car. She stopped next to Aaron and stared at Jason.

"I, uh, I decided you weren't dead when they didn't find a body, but I thought I should keep moving."

He nodded. "You did great."

She smiled as she bit her lip. "You look good."

Aaron rolled his eyes and pulled the screen door open. "He's not going to make the first move for a hug, Nicky. You'll have to punce on him."

Jason glared at Aaron as Nicky slipped in under his arms and wrapped him in a hug. He dropped his head to put his nose in her hair. "Nicky."

She let him cling for a minute and then backed up. "I met the Hulk this afternoon."

Bruce fidgeted as Aaron clapped him on the shoulder. "Yeah, sorry about that."

Nicky smiled as Marta pulled Jason out of the doorway so they could all get into the house. "No, it was good. You warned them and all."

Aaron's eyebrows went up. "The bank robbery? You were there?"

Nicky nodded as she settled on their couch. "I worked as a teller, but now I can't go back."

Coulson leaned against the doorjamb. "Your belongings are being packed up and we'll help you set up in a new location, ma'am."

"Oh." Nicky turned to Jason. "You've made some awesome friends."

Jason smiled at Bruce. "Yes, yes, I have." He touched Nicky's hair. "You are alright?"

She nodded. "I'm fine. I, uhm...I should have told you before. I..."

Jason dropped his hand. "You knew me when I was David Webb."

Nicky sighed. "We were engaged. Then you volunteered for this program and dropped off the face of the Earth. I spent a year getting into the Agency only to meet you and have you just _stare_ right through me."

Marta tucked her hair behind her ear. "He didn't give you any reaction?"

Nicky shook her head. "No, nothing."

Marta nodded. "He was probably in the middle of a migrane."

Jason leaned forward. "Stop." He looked at Marta. "I still get migraines, Marta."

"I know." She frowned. "You probably always will. Sorry, Jason."

Jason shrugged and turned back towards Nicky. "I don't remember."

Nicky shrugged. "I know that." She gestured to Bruce. "Are you alright?"

Bruce looked around at them all. "I...get tense around people that are trained like military."

Coulson smiled a little in the doorway. "Dr. Banner, Jason owes you now. Aaron will back up Jason on any debt, won't you, Aaron?"

Aaron nodded. "I will. We owe you, Doc."

Bruce blinked. "Oh." He relaxed along his shoulders and then turned towards Coulson. "You asked me to go in there on purpose."

Coulson kept a neutral expression. "You were available. Both Barton and Romanoff are on missions. Involving the IMF would only result in injuries to Hunt and probably Brandt as well. The only other agency I could ask for help from is rather busy with the resurrection of their favorite agent."

Bruce pushed up his shirt sleeves. "Right."

****

Nicky stared at the Aaron look-alike. "And you are?"

"William Brandt. Coulson asked me to help find you a job. You were an intel analyst with the Agency?"

Nicky nodded. "I helped support field agents like Jason."

William nodded. "Alright. Well, with Benji approved for field duty we really need a support agent that can back him up."

Nicky lifted her chin. "I've not been doing that work in years."

William shrugged. "You stayed low enough that it took Coulson three hours to locate you and he probably wouldn't have found you that fast if you'd not been in the middle of being a hostage. So." He spread his hands. "You are worth the time to retrain you. Plus, Ethan owes Jason a favor."

With a snort, Nicky nodded. "Alright."

William beamed. "Thank you, Nicky."

****

Jason herded the babies into the big pen. "Why did you agree to help?"

Bruce closed the gate as the last alpaca went through. "I had a...I know what it is like to worry about them even if you know you don't have a chance with them."

Jason nodded and watched Bruce out of the corner of his eye as they checked off the list of babies they'd just vaccinated.

****

Jason went to Coulson. "I want to know something."

Coulson looked up from the paperwork on his desk. "You came clear in just to ask me a question?" He stood and closed his door. "What is the question?"

"Bruce had a significant other at some point."

Coulson blinked and then nodded. "Betty Ross."

Jason nodded. "Where is she?"

Coulson grimaced. "She's not accessible."

Jason raised his eyebrows. "What?"

Coulson sighed. "I've been trying to get an agent into the facility she's been in since just after New York was attacked."

"Where is it?"

Coulson unlocked a drawer and pulled out a file. "Russia. Her father is a General in the US Army and he's partnered with a black ops program in the Russia without permission. He kidnapped her and has everyone in her life thinking she's in a deep cover lab in Bethesda."

Jason thumbed through the file. "Can you get Brandt borrowed from the IMF?"

Coulson smiled. "Are you sure you want to attempt a retrieval? General Ross has the Abomination from the Harlem fight with the Hulk in that same facility."

Jason glanced up at him. "Can you get Barton too, then?"

"Give me five hours."

Jason nodded. "We'll be ready."

****

Aaron eyed the man that Jason was approaching carefully.

"Kirill." Jason held out his hand. "I'm happy you lived."

Kirill shook his hand and glanced at Aaron. "Same. Why did you find me if not to kill me?"

Jason lead him over to Aaron. "We're going to retrive a hostage from a compound deep in Siberia."

Kirill blinked. "Just the three of us?"

Aaron nodded towards the quinjet as it decloaked. "Not just us."

As they boarded, Aaron enjoyed Kirill's slight moment of stillness as he looked William over and then the complete stop at the sight of Clint.

Natasha narrowed her eyes at him from her seat by Clint. "You are Kirill."

Kirill nodded. "Romanoff."

She smiled. "This will be fun."

Clint snorted as he lifted off the quintjet. "Right. Fun."

****

Aaron watched the compound through his scope. "Three guards. I think the monster is in the big stand alone building on the left."

The comm crackled. "Smells like it. Why am I always downwind?" Clint stopped moving. "Yeah, just saw movement. Monster is definitely in the indicated building."

Kirill and Jason were working their way up to the edge of the fence.

Aaron adjusted his windage. "I haven't seen the package at all."

Natasha's whisper was breathy. "I've cleared the top level. Moving down now."

Jason and Kirill slipped through the fence and along the side of the main building.

Aaron mentally cursed as he shot a guard as he came around the corner. "One guard down."

The noise on the comm went up as they started moving faster, not caring as much about noise now. Aaron took down another guard as Clint shot a third one with one of his arrows.

Natasha huffed. "Found her."

Aaron took out a fourth guard as he came out the door of the main building. Jason and Kirill slipped in through that door.

Natasha made something click. "Ma'am? I'm friends with Bruce Banner."

"Get away from me. I won't..." There was a kick noise and then a frustrated screech sound Aaron assumed was from the package. "...help you trap him!"

Natasha grunted. "Black rose."

Panting, and then a whisper. "Bruce."

"Package and I are moving to the ground floor."

"Roger that." Aaron frowned as the gears to the big blast doors on the stand alone building started to move. "Fuck. Move it! Monster's doors are in motion."

Another flurry of noise.

Jason's voice sounded calm. "No one else is moving. Hello, ma'am."

"Seriously?"

Aaron grinned at the package's tone.

Clint snorted over the line and shot several arrows into the gears of the door. "That should slow it down."

There was fighting noises across the line and then the group was moving out across the compound's yard. Jason was in the lead, Natasha wrapped around the package, and Kirill bring up the rear.

Aaron waited until they hit the trees. "Covered."

"Awesome." Clint detonated one of his arrows in the gears and then they were hauling ass away as the monster rampaged behind them.

Aaron grinned at the angry face of Betty Ross as they climbed into the quintjet. "Ma'am."

She blinked. "Another one? What the hell are you? Clones?"

William rolled his eyes. "Why did I have to guard the jet again?"

Clint climbed past him into the cockpit. "You have the least amount of cold weather training?"

Aaron checked Betty's straps. "Yeah, go with that. Nothing at all to do with Ethan killing us if anything happened to you."

Kirill watched them from beside Jason as the quintjet took off. "Why is she important?"

Jason leaned back and closed his eyes. "I owe Dr. Banner."

Betty gripped her harness. "He's alive?"

Aaron exchanged glances with William before looking at Betty. "Yes, ma'am. You were told differently?"

She nodded. "I didn't want to believe him, of course. Bruce fell from a helicopter and didn't die, but..." She swallowed and shrugged.

Aaron nodded. "He's alive and well. He's working for Tony Stark now."

"Oh." She blinked. "He...sent you?"

William shook his head. "No, we sort of didn't want to worry him. He thinks you are in Bethesda. As do all of the people you used to know."

She blinked. "Oh." Nodding, Betty looked around at all of them. "So, what, I'm a present or something?"

Aaron smiled at her. "I'd call you a pleasant surprise."

She leaned forward and looked towards the cockpit. "How did you know the code words?"

Natasha turned her head. "I told him I'd check on you four days ago. He was a little worried when you didn't call or anything after New York was attacked."

Betty's eyebrows climbed. "Attacked?"

Aaron grimaced. "We'll catch you up, ma'am. No worries."

****

Kirill held tight to his harness at the little jet landed directly on top of a tower in New York City. He followed them out as they lead the woman, Betty, down the back ramp. He stayed near Jason, the only person he was certain of out of the group.

Clint lead them in and Kirill swallowed as he followed Jason into the building.

****

Bruce was deep in an expriment when Tony showed up at his elbow. "Just a second."

"Bruce."

He looked up because Tony never, ever, used that tone. "What?"

Tony was smiling wide. "Bruce, you need to come up to the penthouse."

Bruce frowned. He didn't like it up there with the dents from the other guy thrashing Loki still in the floor. "Why?"

Tony smiled impossibly wider. "Bruce-y."

Bruce huffed and shut down his work. "Fine." It was always easier just to do what Tony wanted.

Tony kept nearer than normal as they rode the elevator up. Bruce stepped out and looked around at the men sprawled carefully on Tony's couches. Aaron and William next to each other. Clint across from them. Jason and a man Bruce didn't recognize on the other long couch. 

Near the window, Natasha was standing next to a short woman...

"Betty." Bruce could feel Tony pressing close as his knees started to give a little.

Betty turned. Her left eye was swollen nearly shut and she smiled wide. "Bruce." She flung herself at him.

Bruce caught her and held her close as she started to sob into his shoulder. He touched her left temple. "Betty?"

She tucked her face into his neck. "Bruce. Bruce, what happened to you?" She roamed her hands over him. "You look different?"

He cupped the back of her head and pressed down the protective urge the injury to her was pulling up in the other guy. "I, uh, got low."

Tony nudged Bruce's shoulder towards the couches. "He means he put a bullet in his mouth and it didn't kill him."

Betty let him herd her. "Hulk saved you?"

Bruce nodded. "He spit out the bullet. He was pretty mad." Bruce settled beside Aaron and let Betty just sort of climb onto him. "Betty, what happened to you? I thought you didn't want..." He stopped as it occurred to him just what it meant for all the ex-agents to be ranged around him in tactical gear. For Natasha and Clint to be suited up. "Oh."

She smiled at him even as she cried. "I'm fine now."

Bruce pulled her to his chest. "Yes." He nodded to Jason. "Thank you." He looked at the rest of them. "Thank you all."

****

Kirill looked across the yard at the alpacas. "Animals?"

Jason nodded and pushed him into the house. "Yes. They are usually calming. Don't scare Marta. We have dinner with William and Ethan's team every once in a while."

Aaron smiled at him from a small woman's side. "Marta, this is Kirill."

She smiled. "Hi."

He blinked at her. "Hello." He let Jason nudge him into a seat at the kitchen table.

"Kirill is Treadstone."

Marta nodded. "We didn't do work up on Treadstone except for Jason. I, uh, usually worked with Outcome agents."

Kirill looked up at Aaron. "Next after Treadstone, yes?"

Jason nodded. "Yes."

Kirill nodded. "I know nothing of animals."

Aaron smiled. "You'll learn."

****

Nicky froze so fast that Jane ran into her back. "Uh..."

Jason stepped between her and Kirill. "He's fine, Nicky."

She blinked and moved aside so Jane could get inside. "He's supposed to be dead."

Jason shrugged. "So am I."

Nicky nodded at that and followed Ethan on into the house. "Right."

They sat down for dinner. William across from Aaron and Jason and Kirill on the opposite end of the table from Ethan and Jane. Nicky and Benji ended up in the middle with Marta.

Nicky smiled at the ease Jason had with helping Kirill learn new English words that he'd never needed to know before. It was good to see Jason relaxed even a little bit.

Ethan got into a how to kill someone story compaition with Aaron that Kirill and Jason joined in on.

Nicky exchanged looks with Jane and Benji as Marta cocked her head as Jason told them about killing someone with a pen.

Aaron pointed at Marta. "She wins though. She killed one of us with a motorcycle helmet."

Marta ducked her head. "I actually kicked him into a pillar."

Aaron beamed.

Nicky bit her lip to keep from smiling too much as the rest of the of them agreed that that was the craziest story.

****

Coulson sighed as the intel said that Blonsky had been recaptured without losing more men than those killed in the rescue of Betty Ross. He knocked on Fury's door.

"Come in."

Coulson stepped in and closed the door. "Dr. Ross has been retrieved and is with the Avengers."

Fury nodded. "Good. Anything else?"

"Treadstone agent Kirill isn't dead."

Fury looked up at that. "Do any of them actually die?"

"The ones Jason or Aaron are confirmed to have killed seem to stay dead."

Fury smiled. "We'll keep that in mind. That program after Outcome is still active, correct?"

Coulson mentally shuddered at the crap LARX was doing to their guinea pigs. "Yes, Boss."

"Agency stupidity. Keep an eye on it."

"Yes, Boss." Coulson headed out to do his job.

****


End file.
